Hunted
by Gotham Knightress
Summary: what happens when Ranger Will disappears? and then a man starts hunting ranger's as if they were animals! why? will the rangers find a way out of this mess? will ranger Treaty ever be seen again? if you see this story on another site, it's okay because I'm still the author for it and no one is trying to steal it.
1. Chapter 1

**OK so I LOVE the Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan, this is just a fan-fiction. I don't own any of the characters from the series they all belong to John Flanagan.**

** read this description and tell me what you think! **

** ( - BOW'S AND ARROW'S - )**

the kingdom of Araluen has been at peace for the past ten years, well not complete peace they still have thieves and murders, spy's and traitors and all those other not so nice people but they haven't had a fight with another kingdom for ten years.

whats been happening in the last ten years you ask? well lets see.

**(A/N. Sorry if I've missed some-one, but these are the character the main characters in the books so I just wanted to explain what has been happening to them) **

Ranger Will Treaty and his wife Alyss have an eight year old son named Danial (after Wills father), a five year-old daughter named Rosemarie (Horace got to name her), and Alyss is pregnant with another child. they are living in a cabin that Baron Arald had built for them as a wedding present. it's close to the rangers cabin that Will used to live in and they are enjoying living a quiet life.

King Horace and his wife Cassandra are now King and Queen, but Duncan is still alive and there to help them if they need it, Horace and Cassandra have an seven year old daughter named Mary, a six year old son named William, and a three years old son named Duncan. although Horace is king he makes sure to see Will as much as possible, the two of them are still like brothers and nothing can brake that bond.

Pauline died four years ago leaving Halt alone, Halt tried to lock himself away from the world but Will wouldn't hear of it, he make Halt move in with him and Alyss and know they are one big happy family, Halt still refuses to retire he wants to die as a ranger and everyone understands that, Halt and Will always go on missions together and people rarely see them apart. as the years have passed they have become closer and closer and know Will calls Halt Father and Halt calls Will Son.

Gillan and Jenny finaly got married last year and are know living together with a baby on the way.

George was returnig home from a Scribemen-mission when he was attacked and killed on the road.

Crowley is still alive and hasn't changed at all, although he's speding more time at Wills home with Will and Halt talking about old times.

so like I saidm 'the kingdom of Araluen has been at peace for the past ten years, well not complete peace they still have thieves and murders, spy's and traitors and all those other not so nice people but they haven't had a fight with another kingdom for ten years'.

the Rangers haven't grown slack or anything in this time of peace they are still as great of Rangers as before but now they don't have as much to do, but that is about to change.

what happens when Ranger Will dissapears? and then a man starts hunting Rangers as if they were animals! why? will the rangers find a way out of this mess? will ranger Treaty ever be seen again?

READ AND FIND OUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, and MORE...


	2. Will's Kidnapping

**I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE RANGERS APPRENTICE CHARACTERS JOHN FLANAGAN DOES.**

**Will's P.O.V **

"Daddy" I dropped my coffee and ran out the door bow in hand as soon as I heard the scream, I ran around the cabin to the clearing in the back only to stop in horror when I got there, there were almost twenty men in the clearing and all or them were on house back except the man in the middle, who was holding a knife to my daughters throat.

"are you the Ranger known as, Will Treaty?" the man asked me.

"yes." I answered, Abalard had been injured and wasn't ready for hard riding yet so Halt had borrowed Tug to go to a meeting with Crowley which explained why Tug didn't warn me about the men, Alyss had to go talk to Baron Arald and she had taken our son (Danial) and Ebony (will's dog) with her, so it was just me and Rose here at the cabin.

"good." the man replied before motioning to a man on his right who rode his horse towards me, as I raised my bow towards him I heard Rose cry out again and turning back to her I saw that the man had a handful of her hair in his fist, "let John take your weapons our your daughter dies."

I handed my bow and knifes to John and he took them and handed them to another man, the horses were making so much noise that I didn't hear the two men coming up behind me until they grabbed my arms and forced them behind my back before tying them there, one of the men came out in front of me as the other one held me still, the one in front of me started to check for hidden weapons, and he found the knife in my boot which he took before the both forced me to walk to the middle of the clearing where they forced me done onto my knees in front of the man that held my daughter.

"he was hiding this in his boot sir." one of the men that held me told the man giving him the knife, the man looked at the knife before he turned to me and then raising him hand he backhanded me across the cheek splitting my bottom lip.

"strip him to the waist and gag him." the man ordered the two men holding me, and they did, they used a knife to cut my shirt (I wasn't wearing my cloak) and then one of the men grabbed my jaw and forced my mouth open so that the other could shove a gag into my mouth, they than tied a cloth around my head to hold the gag in place.

"give that to me." the man that held my daughter commanded pointing to the oak-leaf insignia around my neck, one of the men that had gaged me took the insignia from around my neck and gave it to the man who looked at it before putting it in a hidden pocket in his cloak, he held his hand out to one of his men and they gave him a length of rope which he then tied around my neck, one of his men had picked up Rose (who now had her hands tied together and was gaged) and put her on a horse and the leader now climbed on behind her holding the end of the rope that was tied around my neck, the leader jerked on the rope and I was forced to start walking behind him or be choked.

I quickly got the hang of walking with my hands tied behind my back and the leader seeing this made his horse go faster so that I ended up having to run to keep from choking, by the time we finally stopped I could hardly feel my legs, one man tents were set up and fires were started, the leader lead me over to a tree and tied the rope(that was still tied around my neck) to the tree making it so I couldn't move unless I wanted to choke, a man came up to us dragging Rose behind him and he tied her to me by untying her hands and then retying them around the tree.

the men left us alone tied to the tree and I tried to comfort Rose as best I could in our condition, it took awhile but we soon fell to sleep.

the next morning we set out again with me running behind the leader and Rose riding in front of him, I hadn't been given any food or water and Rose had and for that I was grateful.

I didn't know were we were but I hoped that Halt or Gillan would find us soon.

I had no way of knowing that we were in Rijk **(A/N Rijk if pronounced Ri-Jay-Ka) **

**Halt's P.O.V**

I rode into the clearing to see Crowley standing aver a fire which thankfully had a coffee pot over it, I didn't know why Crowley had called me to the clearing but from the look on his face I knew it wasn't good.

"why are you riding Tug?" Crowley asked me "did something happen to Abalard?"

"he was injured a couple of weeks ago and isn't up to any hard riding yet." I explained to my old friend, "Will let me ride Tug today and tomorrow I'll be back to riding Abalard."

"alright," Crowley looked like he was trying to find a way to tell me something.

"Crowley? what's wrong?" I demanded.

"Halt, some-one is injuring Ranger's," Crowley told me "Rangers are being attacked on the road, at there cabins and a couple Rangers have even been led into a trap where they have been injured, there wounds are never serious they are just little cuts or something else that the Ranger can recover from in a matter of days, something weird is going of Halt."

"it sounds like what happened in the early years of the corps," I told Crowley remembering an old tale from the beginning of the corps. "when a croup of men started harming Rangers to distract them so that when some-one was stolen they wouldn't even notice, they were to busy trying to find the one that was supposedly harming Rangers."

"I'd forgotten about that tale." Crowley told me "but who are the men after?"

"did they leave Any clues?" I asked him.

"yes them told a injured ranger something that sounded like an old quote," Crowley said, "now what was it? oh yes. it said."

he survived the cold and made friends of enemies.

he survived the heat to save a friend.

he breached the wall thought to be unbreakable.

he rode all day to save his father.

he is the brother of a feared knight, and a loving queen.

he is loved by most but feared by all.

I just looked at Crowley in horror before dumping my coffee on the fire, jumping onto Tug and taking off, in seconds Crowley had his things packed and was racing after me, Crowley called to me but I didn't stop I had to get home, I rode Tug so hard that we were soon only a mile from the cabin, I passed Gill on the rode and he was soon racing after me with Crowley, when I got to the cabin I saw Alyss and Danial out front, Alyss was getting off her horse so I knew that they had just gotten back.

as soon as he stopped I jumped off Tug and raced into the cabin, it was empty and there was coffee spilled on the floor with Wills cup in the puddle, racing back outside just as Crowley and Gill arived at the cabin I ran to the back of the cabin, there was something on the ground and running over to it I saw that it was Will's shirt, I dropped to the ground by his shirt just as the others came around the cabin going slow so that Alyss could keep up.

coming up to me Crowley laid a hand on my shoulder "Halt what's wrong? what did you figure out?"

"it's Will," I told Crowley "it's will the men were after and know they have him, and Rose." Alyss gasped behind me and Gill rapped his arms around her to support her.

"but how do you know?" Crowley asked me.

"he survived the cold and made friends of enemies, Will survived Skandia and made friends out of the skandians." I told Crowley and the others, "he survived the heat to save a friend, he survived the desert to save Tug. he breached the wall thought to be unbreakable, he breached the wall in Macinda. he rode all day to save his father, he road all day to get the antidote when I was poisoned. he is the brother of a feared knight, and a loving queen, he is considered a brother to Horace and Cassandra. he is loved by most but feared by all, most who know him love Will, but everyone fears him because he's a ranger."

"Halt? whats going on?" Gill asked. so Crowley explained.

"some one has been harming rangers so we'll be distracted when they kidnap one of us, and apparently they kidnapped Will, and for some reason Rose."

"what are we going to do Halt?" Gill asked me, but it was Crowley that answered.

"you and Halt are going after them, I have to stay and take care of things here."

"when are we leaving?" Gill asked.

"right know." I replied, Danial had saddled Abalard for me and brought him to me, as long as no one is riding him he'll be fine. "lets go." I said to Gill as I mounted Tug.

and then we took off to find Will.

**Will's P.O.V.**

three days have passed and I haven't had any thing to eat or drink and that plus all the running I've had to do has made me very weak, so it was no surprise when I just collapsed on the evening of the third day.

"Finally," the leader (he still wouldn't tell me his name) said as he leaned over me, "most men collapse on their first day, but no worries."

turning to his men "take the girl back to Araluen and kill her." I almost instantly started to struggle against the ropes but I was so weak that I couldn't even move. "don't worry treaty, where your going you'll be glad she's dead and not there with you."

I was tied to a horse on my stomach and the last I saw of my beloved daughter was her crying face as she was carried back the way we came.


	3. Rose's Return

**this chapter is all about Rose and what happens to her after she is taken from her father. **

_**recap**_

_Will's P.O.V._

_three days have passed and I haven't had any thing to eat or drink and that plus all the running I've had to do has made me very weak, so it was no surprise when I just collapsed on the evening of the third day._

_"Finally," the leader (he still wouldn't tell me his name) said as he leaned over me, "most men collapse on their first day, but no worries." _

_turning to his men "take the girl back to Araluen and kill her." I almost instantly started to struggle against the ropes but I was so weak that I couldn't even move. "don't worry treaty, where your going you'll be glad she's dead and not there with you."_

_I was tied to a horse on my stomach and the last I saw of my beloved daughter was her crying face as she was carried back the way we came._

**Rose's P.O.V**

after watching as the man had my daddy tied to the horse and led away from me the two men that held me had put me on a horse and we had ridden back to Araluen, that had had been yesterday, right now I was tied to a tree crying because the men said that my daddy was going to be killed when he got when the leader was taking him, I had learned that the leaders name was Craig and that he had been hired to kidnap my father so that some-one that hated my father could kill him. I didn't know who wanted my father dead but I did know that they were taking him to Nederland.

"this is as good a place as any to kill her," Jim (1 of the men) said as he pulled out his sword and walked towards me.

"Jim? why do you get to kill her?" the other man Kyle asked, "her father killed my brother so I should get to kill the little ..."

he never got to finish what he was saying because at that moment an arrow appeared in his chest killing him instantly, then another arrow appeared in Jim's chest and he dropped to the ground in front of me.

"Uncle Gill." I cried as Ranger Gillan stepped out of the trees followed by Ranger Halt, "Halt."

"Rose," uncle Gill said as he came towards me and started to untie me. "are you alright Rose?"

"Yes, but those men are taking daddy to Nederland to kill him."

Gill looked at Halt as he finished untying me and poled me into his arms. Halt answered his unspoken question "take Rose back to Alyss and then stay in Redmont, I'll go to Nederland and save Will."

gill nodded and then climbed onto Blaze before taking off at a full run towards home.

it was pitch black when we arrived at Redmont castle.

Baron Arald met us at the gate and hugged me, "Alyss is in the infirmary," he told Gill who took me from the baron and carried me to the mother was lying in bed asleep with something in her arms, Danial was asleep i a bed beside hers but he woke up as we entered and as soon as he saw me he ran to us and taking me from Gillan's arms he hugged me to him before walking me over to the bad where mommy had woken up and was crying.

mommy poled me into her arms and showed me the baby beside her "Rose, this is your little brother, Halt." I smiled at the baby and then laying my head on my Mommy's shoulder i was soon fast asleep. but not before hearing Gill and my mother talking.

"gill wheres Will?" Alyss asked as she held me.

"he's being taken to nederland," Gill told her "Halt is following them Alyss."

"Halt will bring him home." I heard my mommy say right before I drifted off to sleep.


	4. not so good suprises

**Halt's P.O.V.**

_five day's ago._

I heard something coming from not far off the road, turning Abelard that way and going forward a little I saw Johnathan Grey, a man that the Ranger's Corps has been looking for: for almost three years, I knew what I had to do even if I hated it. but Will was a ranger and I knew that he wouldn't forgive me if I didn't.

I took out my Saxe knife and with a practiced ease I threw it and knocked Grey out, I tied Grey to tug and then climbing onto Abelard I took off back towards Araluen and away from Will.

_Present day. _

"Halt?" Crowley and Gill said together as I rode into the clearing behind the cabin. "where's Will?"

"I don't know were Will is Crowley," I told him then I dragged Grey off tugs back and thew him to the ground at Crowley's feet, "I had to bring him back, Will wouldn't have liked it if I let him get away to go after him."

"are we going after Will again?" Gill asked me as Crowley tied Grey to his horse (A/N I forgot the name of Crowley's horse).

"no," I said and both men looked at me.

"what do you mean you aren't going after Will?" we all turned to see Alyss standing there with a baby in her arms.

"it rained for three days Alyss," I explained "his trails gone cold and we have no idea where he's being taken, even I can't track him in these conditions, we'll just have to wait and pray that he comes home on his own."

I could tell that Crowley and Gill wanted to argue with me but Alyss spoke before they could "your right, and he's Will, the only thing that will keep him away from his family is if he's dead" then looking at the baby in her arms "Halt this is Halt, he was born seven days ago, Will and I agreed when we were married that if we had any sons they would be named Danial and Halt, to honor his father's."

Alyss handed me the baby and I actually smiled at him "he's going to look just like Will." I said.

we all went inside and sat around the table with Coffee, I was still holding Halt, Alyss went to check on the kids and Crowley and Gill were making bets on when Will would get back and on what they thought Alyss was going to do when he arrived.

just as Alyss came back into the room there was a knock at the door, Alyss opened the door to find a messenger, "I have a letter for Ranger Halt," the messenger said.

I came forward (afret giving Halt to Gill) and took the letter from the lad, I nodded showing him that he could leave and he did, then returning back to the table I opened the letter.

"what does it say?" Gill asked.

I hadn't cried since long before I became a Ranger but I cried know as I read the letter to them.

Ranger Halt

I'm the man that took Ranger Treaty, I took him for revenge, Ranger Treaty killed my brother and before he died I promised him that I would kill Treaty.

My men didn't return so I know that you killed them and took the girl home but Treaty doesn't, he died thinking that his daughter was dead.

I tortured and killed Ranger Treaty before burning his body till it was ash and dumping the ash's in the river.

I only have one, regret, and that is that I couldn't make you watch as I tortured and killed him.

His oak leaf symbol in enclosed in this letter

I turned the envelope over and the oak-leaf symbol came out, it was covered in dried blood, I looked up and saw that the others were all crying.

WILL TREATY WAS DEAD.


	5. a very good: SUPRISE

**Will's P.O.V.**

I woke up to find myself tied to a chair with a blindfold over my eyes, something was being pored down my throat. after I had collapsed and Rose had been taken I had been given a mouth full of water before being tied to a horse, that mouth full of water was the only thing they had given me and I had collapsed again two days later, only to wake up tied to this chair.

whoever was poring stuff down my throat stopped and I heard there foot steps before I heard a door open and close, I knew that I was to weak to escape, before I had collapsed the second time I couldn't even hold myself up.

I heard the door open and the foot steps coming towards me, "you have no idea how long I've waited to meet you Mr. Treaty," a male voice said from right in-front of me, and I recognised the voice of the man that took my daughter and refused to tell me his name "I have need of your help,"

"you think I would help you after your men killed my daughter?" I demanded furious, how could he think that for one moment that I would help him?.

"you will help me." the man said, and the sound of his voice told me that he truly believed that he could make me help him. "I need you to get me money"

my blindfold was removed and I saw that the man was in his late thirties to late forties, he has brown hair and brown eyes, and sure enough he has a warriors body, "my name is Craig, Mr. Treaty, and weather you want to or not, you will help me." and with that he left.

shortly after Craig left three men came in and I could tell from there smiles that they wanted to hurt me, "hello Mr. Ranger," one of the men said as he came forward and grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled my head back while grabbing my lower jaw and forcing my mouth open so one of the other men could shove a gag in, "we've been told to get you ready."

the three men laughed before one of them raised his sword and brought the hand of the sword down on the side of my head, making everything go black.

I don't know how long I was out for but when I woke up, I was gagged but I was no long tied to a chair, instead my wrists were tied behind my back with thick rope, and I was once again blindfolded. I heard a door open and then I was grabbed by the arm and forced to stand up, I was lead somewhere but the blindfold, and the fact that the man holding me kept stopping and making my turn around until I got dizzy, made it impossible to keep track of all the turns, we finally stopped and I was forced down onto my knees.

as soon as I was forced onto my knees I felt people watching me, but there was one person that was watching me without looking away.

"why is he gagged and blindfolded?" I heard a Lady's voice ask.

"he is gagged because he has a tendency to try to lie his way out of any situation," a male replied and I recognised Craig's voice, "and he is blindfolded because if he see's any possible escape he will try to get away."

"what kind of lies has he told to try to get away?" a man asked.

"he's said that he was an Araluen Ranger," Craig said and I heard people laughing, "I'll sell him for a hundred pounds."

and that's when I realised what Craig was doing, he was selling me as a slave and telling these people that I lied so that if I told them who I was they wouldn't believe me.

"one hundred?" a man asked, "don't you think that's a bit much?"

"look at him," Craig said, "he's fit, he has strong muscles, he's good looking and he will be really fun to tame."

"you mean he's not tamed yet?" a woman's voice asked "he isn't struggling though."

"he isn't struggling because we've starved him so that he would be to week to fight us," Craig said "right know he is so week from starvation that he can barley support his own Waite."

I heard people approach me and then hands were feeling my arms, chest, and leg's as if the people were trying to figure out how strong I was, "how long have you had him?" a man asked.

"let's see," Craig said, "I've had him for about ten day's, which is why he's not tamed, he hasn't even been hit yet."

"if he hasn't been hit than why is there blood in his hair?" a man asked

"what?" Craig asked, and then some-one grabbed my hair and forced my head up, "why is there blood in his hair," Graig demanded.

one of the man that had come to 'get me ready' spoke from somewhere behind me, "he somehow managed to pick the locks on his chains and when we came to get him he jumped us and managed to kill poor John before we could grab him, we had to knock him out to keep him from killing us to," the man lied.

"so, apparently he isn't as week as we thought." Craig mussed, "he's probably only behaving right know because of the blow he received,"

"I'm not going to buy an untamed slave," I heard a man say and before I heard murmurs of agreement from others, then a door opened and I heard people leaving.

"what about you King Jace?" Craig asked, "do you want him?"

"I'll give you fifty pounds for him Craig," the man who I assumed was the King answered "if I give you any more my wife would kill me."

"he worth more than that," Craig complained "but I'll take the fifty pounds,"

"alright," the King answered "I have your money right here,"

"good, my men will get him ready for you," Craig told the King, before he spoke to the men behind me "get him 'ready' for the King,"

I was forced back onto my feet before being dragged to who knows were, after being dragged for a while I was dropped on the ground and turned over onto my back, my shirt was pulled up and I felt the tip of a knife being placed to my stomach right before I was stabbed, something was rapped around the wound and then I was picked up and dragged somewhere else.

I new the minute I was dragged outside because of the fresh air, I was put on a horse with my hands still tied behind my back ad then the horse started moving.

after what seemed like forever some-one removed my gag, "what is your name?" I heard the King ask.

"my name is ..." but just as I was about to tell 'Will' I fell from the horse, I was unconscious before I hit the ground.

**King Jace's P.O.V.**

I had been at Craig's tavern because I was one my way home and I stopped for the night, I was getting ready to leave when Craig had asked me to join him for a moment, two of the fifty guards I had with me came also. Craig lead me to a basement where other men waited some with here wife's and some without.

"lady's and Gentlemen today I'm going to show you a fine slave that is for sale and that I thought you all might be interested in." Craig said turning to a door that a man went to open.

I was just about to leave when a bound man was forced into the room and onto his knees, he was clean and he wore clean clothes but I could tell that he was really week and that he was only clean because Craig had, had his men clean him up for the sale, his wrists were tied behind his back with thick rope and he was blindfolded and gagged, I don't know why but the moment I saw him I wanted to get him away from here and some'where save.

I stood back and waited as the others asked questions, just watching the man, I did look up when Craig grabbed a handful of the mans hair, forced his head up and demanded as to why he had blood in his hair, I listened to guards explanation as I went back to watching the man, and I could tell by the way his shoulders moved that he was laughing silently but weekly at what the man said, that the guard was lying about why there was blood in his hair.

every-one else left and Craig turned to me,"what about you King Jace?" Craig asked me, "do you want him?"

"I'll give you fifty pounds for him Craig," I told him "if I give you any more my wife would kill me." I lied.

"he worth more than that," Craig complained "but I'll take the fifty pounds,"

"alright," I answered glad that I didn't have go higher, because I knew that for some reason I wanted to protect this man "I have your money right here,"

"good, my men will get him ready for you," Craig told me, before he spoke to the men waiting at the door "get him 'ready' for the King,"

the man was forced back onto his feet before being dragged to who knows were, and I instantly worried about what Craig had meant when he had told his men to get him 'ready' for me.

"is there anything I should know about this man?" I asked Craig, using the voice I saved for when I wanted to warn people not to lie to me.

"yes there is one thing," Craig said, "this man is the famous Ranger Will Treaty from Araluen,"

I was surprised at that but I didn't let it show "I want all of his gear." I told Craig, "I'll give you five pounds for all of it."

"of course." Craig said before ordering a man to get all the rangers things. "know about payment."

I payed Craig and then went outside to wait, with tons of questions running through my mind, how had Craig managed to capture an Araluen Ranger? let alone one of the most famous Araluen Rangers? why hadn't the Ranger escaped? is he hurt? is he even Ranger Treaty or was Craig lying?

"sir," John one of the two guards that had been with me in the room said, "if he really is Ranger Treaty, than we could be in trouble."

"as soon as I'm sure he's alright we'll return him to Araluen." I told him, and at that moment two men dragged the (supposed) Ranger out and put him on a horse. after riding for about an hour I turned to the bound man beside me and removed his gag.

"what is your name?" I asked him wanting to know whether he was Ranger Treaty or not.

"my name is ..." but he didn't get to finish before he fell from the saddle.

I jumped from my horse and many of my guards did the same, the minute he had fallen my healer had jumped from his horse and was at his side, "he's been stabbed my lord," the healer told me as he looked at the fresh stab wound on the mans stomach "and he hasn't been given food or water in days, if we do not get some food in him soon he will die."

I was about to order two of my guards to get a litter out of the wagon when a man rode up with a litter already tied to one of the extra horses "I went to make one when I saw him collapse," he said, before climbing from his horse and helping to put the man onto the litter.

we continued on again and about an hour later I called a captian to me "how long until we get to the castle captai?"

"about another two hours if we continue to ride without rest my lord" the captian replied.

I stood up in my saddle and turned to the guards behind me, while the guards in front of me turned to face me "if we continue to ride we can be back at the castle in about two hours, if we don't this man could die." the captian opened his mouth to speak but I held up my hand to forstall his question, "we have all heard tales of the Araluen Ranger known as Will Treaty and this man is said to be him, I know he doesn't look like a ranger but on the off chance that he is we need to get him to the castle so that we can find out."

the men nodded and we set out again, just by looking at my men I could tell that they were as determand as I was to get this man to the castle and find out if he truly was Ranger Treaty.


	6. King Jace

**King Jace's P.O.V.**

"how is he?" I asked the healer, the man that is supposed to be a Ranger has not awaken since he collapsed on the trail four days ago, we got him to the castle and I have my best healer working to heal him.

"he's getting stronger, but I don't know when he'll wake." the healer said, "I've been poring broth, and medicines down his throat but there's just no way of knowing when he'll wake."

"well I think he's waking up." I said as I heard the man groan, we both turned to the man as he started to wake.

**Will's P.O.V.**

"how is he?" I heard some one ask and recognised King Jace's voice, I tried to talk but no sound came out, I couldn't move.

"he's getting stronger, but I don't know when he'll wake." some one else probably the healer said, "I've been poring broth, and medicines down his throat but there's just no way of knowing when he'll wake."

"well I think he's waking up." the king said as I groaned, my stomach hurt and it felt like I had been trampled by a horse.

"where am I?" I asked as I finally managed to to open my eyes and speak. I saw two men, one had brown hair and brown eyes and his build instantly told me that he was the healer, so the other man was the king, the king has blond hair and green eyes.

"your at my castle," the king said, "what is your name?"

"my name is Will Treaty," I replied.

"so you really are an Araluen Ranger!" the king said and I could tell that is was a statement not a question.

"what happened?"

"you collapsed on the trail four days ago, apparently you were stabbed." the king told me, "my healer has been working on you and as soon as you are healthy enough to travel I'll personally take you back to Araluen, Mr Treaty."

"why would you do that?" I asked confused as to why he make so much trouble just to get me home.

"I have recently signed a treaty with Araluen and I don't plan on harming that treaty by letting you travel alone when your hurt," the king explained "that and I have heard many tales of you, and I would like to get to know you."

"thank you you Majesty." I said.

"please call me Jace." the king told me.

"then you can call me Will." I replied.

"Will, do you mind if I ask your real last name?" Jace asked me.

"no, but I'm afraid that I can't answer your question," I replied, "I was raised as an orphan and I've never known my last name."

"I'm sorry." the king said and I could tell that he spoke truly.

"don't be," I told him, "I probably wouldn't a Ranger if they had lived, plus I didn't know my parents so I can't really miss them."

"I'm still sorry," Jace replied.

I looked around the room and my gaze fell on a picture on the wall, it was torn in half and half of the picture was missing, "that picture?"

"it's a picture of two of my parents closest friends," Jace said following my gaze to the picture, "the other half is missing, and I don't know where to find it."

"where's my bag?"

"it's right here," the healer said giving me the bag with all my Ranger Gear in it.

I looked through the bag until I came across the picture that I had kept with me since the day I was born, I got out of the bed, ignoring the healer as he tried to puss me back onto the bed, I went over to the picture on the wall and taking it down I placed my picture next to it, they fit together perfectly to form one picture.

"how do you have the other half of the picture?" Jace asked me as he looked at the now whole picture.

"my father left it for me when he died, it's a picture of him and my mother." I told him, "but what does this mean?"

"it's means that we're brothers, Will." Jace told me.


	7. Welcome Home

**third person P.O.V**

(King) Horace, Gill, Crowley and Halt carried Will's coffin down the walkway to the grave, it was the day of Will's funeral. Will was being berried in the clearing where the Ranger Corps usually has it's meetings and it was the first time anyone that wasn't a Ranger was ever allowed in the clearing.

every Ranger was here and so was the King and his Wife and Kids, and then there was Alyss and Will's kids and Jenny.

everyone watched as the four men carried the coffin to the grave and slowly lowered it to the ground beside the grave, all four of them had emotionless expressions on their faces but everyone in the clearing could tell that even iron faced Halt felt the loss of Ranger Will Treaty.

the four men turned to the people in the chairs behind them and Halt did the most unexpected and shocking thing, he took his Saxe knife and opened the coffin before grabbing the oak-leaf insignia inside and throwing it into the trees to his right.

"how is it that on the day we decide to place you in the ground thinking your dead, you show up out of no where as healthy as a horse?" Halt asked, looking into the forest where he had thrown the insignia, and out of the trees stepped a Ranger.

"I'm not as healthy as I would like to be Halt, I was stabbed in the stomach and I'm still healing," Will said as he smiled at his friend and former mentor.

"DADDY," Danial and Rose yelled together before running to Will, who dropped down onto his knees and rapped his arms around them both.

"Will. what happened?" Alyss asked as he came towards them, and looking up Will saw the bundle in her arms, Will stood up and went to Alyss before looking down at the baby in her arms.

"Halt," Will said as he rapped his arms around his wife and son, then he whispered in Alyss's ear "I've missed you so much Alyss"

"Will? What happened?" Crowley demanded saying it loud enough and with enough power behind it that everyone became very quit.

"I was captured by a man named Craig," Will explained, "he took me to the Nederlands and sold me as a slave to King Jace, who only bought me to get me away from Craig, before handing me over to the King Craig had his men stab me, after getting me to his castle the king had his healer fix up my wounds, when I woke the King had a wagon prepared and he had his men bring me to the Arualen boarder before giving me a horse and returning to the Nederlands."

Crowley nodded.

after what seemed like hours the last Ranger left and it was only. Crowley, Halt, Alyss, Danial, Rose, baby Halt, Jenny, Gill, Horace, Cassandra, Mary, William, and Duncan.

"Will? What really happened?" Crowley asked, and everyone turned to Will.

"Craig kidnapped and sold me to get revenge on me for killing his brother, but other than that it's just like I told the others." Will said he and Jace decided that it would be better for everyone if no one found out that they were brothers.

"alright, good night. everyone." Crowley said before hopping on his horse and takking off.

latter that night back at the Cabin Alyss asked Will "is something botthering you?"

"no. I was just thinking,"

"About?" Alyss asked.

"what I would tell Crowley if he asked me to go on a mission any time soon." Will told her.

"and what would you tell him?"

"I would tell him that I need to spend some time with my family and that I don't want to have to leave Redmont any time soon." Will explained.

"I love you Will." Alyss said.

"I love you too Alyss." Will replied before kissing Alyss.

***********3 THE END3*****************


End file.
